The Opelousas courier., 1887-04-30
KIDNAPPED.

There was nothing new in the plot of
the desperate Williams who sought to ex-
tort money from Mr.. Ross by stealing his
son Charley. The kidnapping of children
for the sake of gain or revenge has been
pcactised for hundreds of years. There
are doubtless to-day in this country a
score OF. more of Charley Ross cases, but
as the parents are not rich and promi-
nent, and the search not aided by legis-
lative action and the united press, they
are seldom heard of by the great public.
The case of Willie Albright, an Eng
lish lad, was full of strange adventures.
He lived at Sheffield with his parents
until five years of age. His father
was employed in a great fac
tory there and his mother was a dress
maker for the neighborhood. They
lived in a cottage in the suburbs of
the town, and at the age of four the
boy was permitted to run about the
neighborhood a good deal. At five,
when he was kidnapped, he was sent to
the stores to make purchases, and knew
all the streets clear to the factory in
which his father worked. One day ia
1851, about Q o'clock In the afternoon,
he was sent to a store three blocks away
after some buttons. Before he reached
it q strange man accosted him and asked
his name. He then gave Willie some
sweetmeats and asked him to 60 and look
at a Punch and Judy show in the town,
promising to return with him in a half
hour. The boy eagerly set off with him,
and was taken to the railroad depot and
placed on a train in charge of q middle
aged woman, who gave him more sweet
meats and was very kindly spoken. She
said the show had moved away and they
were going after i, and fhe noyssdg Of
the child's position prevented him feeling
any anxiety. When the detectives came
to take the case up, as they did two days
after the boys disappearance, they
gots no clew whatever. Although he
had walked q mile or two hand
in hand with the abductor
along crowded streets. nobody remem-
bered seeing the pair. They had gone
openly to the railroad station, but no
one there had noticed them. The guard
on the train dimly remembered woman
and q child in q compartment, but could
give no description. As the Allbrights
were poor and lowly, no great stir was
created, and no great effort was made by
the detectives to restore the boy to his
parents.
The boy was taken from Sheffield to
Liverpool, being SO well treated on the
way thathe had nc thought Of his home.
AT Liverpool he was told that his name
was John Manton, and that the woman
was his mother. When he disputed the
point he was soundly whippeds~His
hair was cut close his dress entirely
changed, and q liquid was rubbed on
his skin which turned it dark. Except
when be asked To go home, or denied
that his name was John Manton, he was
kindly treated, and after he had been
beaten seyen Or eight times he accepted
The new name, and ceased To refer To his
parents. Young q he was this was q
stroke Of policy On his part. He real
lied that he had been stolen from home,
and he kept repeating to himself Che
his true name wal Willie Albright, and
that he lived at Sheffield.
After d couple of weeks lessons In
turnbling and tight-ropo walking we're
given to the boy. BE was never per
mitted 10 30 out alone / tp converse
with strangers, and il soon came natural
for him to call the woman neither. II
tbs course Of couple Of months ii o
past seemed . dream 10 hin, and he,
would have forgotten ell about It had he
not kept repeating 10 himself. 4 AM
not Johnny Manton, but Willie All
bright, and they stole me away from
shefield. Z He was III Liverpool aix
weeks before BE knew the name o the
city. When he had been tasight bow to